MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tuesday afternoon a Memphis City Council Committee began the process of possibly changing an ordinance regarding CLERB.
The Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board, which reviews police misconduct cases to keep things from being swept under the rug, was re-instated last year after a long hiatus.
However, a closed door meeting CLERB held last month has many looking at changing it yet again.
At the time of the meeting, many were confused about the closed door meeting because it went against what CLERB stands for which is transparency.
However, because that issue is now being looked at, other powers of CLERB are being called into question.
“There were some surprises. Sometimes you don’t know you’re in the middle of a minefield until things start blowing up around you,” said Memphis City Councilman Worth Morgan.
Morgan serves as a liaison for CLERB.
On Tuesday, he proposed an ordinance to a Public Safety Committee to change the current ordinance for the review board.
He wants the language to leave no room for question.
“It should be absolutely clear. It should be transparent that these are supposed to be open meetings,” said Morgan.
Something that doesn’t seem to be clear though is the ability of CLERB to subpoena someone.
Morgan said the group never had the power to do that.
He said they can request the Council to do so but if the Council denies the subpoena, CLERB can file a complaint with the state or the federal government.
Morgan said he wants to eliminate the ability for CLERB to make those complaints.
“I think the penalties are unfair. They make a request to the Council in terms of a subpoena and the council could, on our own judgement, vote down subpoena 13-0, and they could still file an ethics complaint against us,” he said.
“I don’t see an issue with the current ordinance as it is. Everybody weighed in and had their say that was decided last year,” said Paul Garner with the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center.
Garner fought to have subpoena language in the ordinance.
He said now he’ll be working with CLERB and the Council to hopefully keep it.
“I don’t think we have to go back in and chop this thing to shreds,” he said.
In the next few weeks, the ordinance will be discussed and reviewed by attorneys.
The first reading is scheduled for June 7.
